This is a follow up post for the first one I wrote on Activerain.  I just received some new comments yesterday on it, and that got me thinking about what I have learned since then.

#1.  Great service is NOT enough to grow your business anymore! 

Wow, I know I am going to get blistered after this one, but hang with me.  I am not saying that I do not believe in great service, nor am I saying great service isn't a must.  I am simply saying it is not enough anymore to grow your business from start to finish.  For our business, providing great service is like the bare minimum to keep what you already have.  If I mess up a loan, I am pretty much done with that referral source.  At least until the next guy screws up worse than I did.  (you know its true!)

#2.  It is naive to ever think great service was enough!

-Xerox invented the GUI, but Microsoft marketed and sold it.
-Apple first pushed the GUI with personal computers, but Microsoft marketed and sold it.
-Forefront Corp. developed the first PC office suite, but again Microsoft marketed and sold it.

Do you see the picture here?  It doesn't always matter who is the best, but it does matter who the consumer thinks is the best.  It matters how you market yourself to your targeted client base, and you better stay on your toes or you will get left behind.

#3.  Great service is still the key!

You have to learn how to market yourself in effective ways, BUT when that is said and done, you better have the great service to back it up.  Face it, in this business we are selling our service.  Even though we must find new and better ways to sell it... it better still be pretty darned good once they buy it.